The future of leadership is human
Why connection matters more than ever
It’s an odd truth of leadership that the things we know matter most – trust, loyalty, motivation – are often the things we spend the least time actively nurturing. Why? Because they don’t come with a neat deadline or a clearly defined metric. We don’t get quarterly reports showing the strength of our relationships, there’s no dashboard for psychological safety. And yet, these are the invisible engines that drive long-term success.
Instead, we are pulled towards the tangible: the task lists, the targets, the slide decks. Task-based leadership is compelling because it feels productive. Ticking things off a to-do list delivers an instant dopamine hit, meetings with outputs feel satisfying, and answering emails or making decisions gives us a sense of making progress. These are also visible achievements, so become the moments we’re praised and rewarded for.
But with this approach, relational leadership gets postponed. We tell ourselves we’ll get to it after the next board meeting, when things calm down, when there’s more time. But that time never arrives.
But there’s another reason why we avoid it. We often don’t invest in emotional intelligence or relationship-building because it can feel nebulous, and it’s not always obvious what it achieves in the short term. And – if we’re honest – it’s vulnerable work. It asks us to show up as humans, not just as organisers and managers.
But the more senior you get, the less your job is about the work itself and the more it’s about creating the conditions in which others can do great work. And that’s a relational job.
A shift in mindset
Building relational leadership is not so much about changing what we do, and more about shifting our mindset. We have to stop seeing leadership as control and delivery but rather as stewardship and connection: creating the environment and relationships which enable people to thrive. Because when people feel seen, heard, and valued, the tasks largely take care of themselves, often with more creativity, care, and commitment than we thought possible.
Our micro-interactions – the tiny moments of connection with have with other humans that occur in their multitudes ever day – are the building blocks of our impact. Each moment may seem small, but cumulatively they carry significant weight. When we are intentional in how we interact, careful in our words and thoughtful in our listening and actions, we build trust, deepen relationships, enhance engagement and increase commitment.
This has real tangible impacts. For example:
Trust and performance are closely linked. Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, and 50% higher productivity. Trust is built moment by moment, and by saying it out loud: “I trust you to…”
Psychological safety drives innovation. Google’s Project Aristotle found that the number one predictor of team effectiveness was psychological safety – the belief that one can speak up without fear of embarrassment or punishment. Safety is forged in human connection, in how we react and respond when things go wrong, and in the reassurance we offer through the process.
Small shifts in behaviour can yield big gains. One leader I coached made a single conscious change: starting every meeting with a moment of genuine check-in. Not a rushed “How are you?” but a real one. Engagement rose, and ideas flowed more freely. This didn’t cost time, it created it.
When we lead with real human connection and emotional intelligence, we create the conditions for our people to thrive. Engagement goes up, turnover falls. People become more resourceful, more resilient, and more willing to go the extra mile. We move from compliance to commitment.
Human leadership in an uncertain world
There’s another reason that relational leadership matters more than ever at the moment. Right now, the world is noisy, polarised, and feels heavy. The political climate is unstable, economic anxiety is real. Many people are navigating personal and global challenges that sap energy and optimism, making it a tough environment in which to lead. With all that going on, it’s easy to retreat into the mechanics of work, to stay in our heads and avoid the heart. But it’s exactly in these times that human leadership matters most.
Amid this uncertainty, our workplaces can offer something powerful: a sense of meaning, belonging, and stability. When we lead with humanity, acknowledging that life is complex, messy, and sometimes overwhelming, we create a port in the storm. A place where people can find meaning in their work and connection with others. We build cultures where people can bring their full selves, where vulnerability is not a liability but a strength, and where connection becomes a competitive advantage.
This isn’t about pretending everything’s okay. It’s about acknowledging that it’s not, but still showing up with compassion, clarity, and care. That’s what builds resilient teams. That’s what holds culture together when the ground feels unsteady, and that’s the kind of leadership we need right now.
This isn’t soft, it’s strategic, and it’s the future.
So if you’re wondering whether that five-minute check-in, that word of appreciation, that moment of real listening is worth it – yes, it absolutely is. These are the moments that shape culture. They are not the side project, they are the work. Because the future of leadership is human.
If this resonates, please consider sharing it with someone who needs to hear it. Or reply or leave a comment and let me know what human, connected micro-moment made a difference in your leadership this week.
You can read more about human and relationship leadership, and how our micro-interactions are the key to building it, in my bestselling book, Do Sweat the Small Stuff: Harness the power of micro-interactions to transform your leadership.
It’s available in all good bookshops, or via Bookshop.org, Amazon UK or Amazon US on these links (#aff).
And finally…
I don’t know the origins of this meme, as I’ve seen it repeated so many times over the years, but it remains very accurate!
Thanks for your patience with my Substack going AWOL last week. If you’d like to understand why, this LinkedIn post explains a little about what exciting (and slightly stressful) things I was up to! Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week.
Curious about working with me?
Click below to book an exploratory chat. We can talk about how to support you and your team or organisation, through workshops, speaking, and/or coaching, all tailored to your unique challenges, needs and ambitions.
If you know someone who you think would enjoy this, use this button to share it with them directly. Thank you!